Seven Years - One Story
by RemusKetchum
Summary: A series of snapshots following the Hogwarts career of some of Harry's lesser known classmates in Ravenclaw House. Each story explores a different year at Hogwarts. The narrator is unnamed and open to interpretation, and he befriends the two Ravenclaw boys who never made it into the books: Stephen Cornfoot and Kevin Entwhistle.
1. Year One

The long hall and the sea of faces vanished from sight as the edges of the ragged old hat fell down over my eyes. My beating heart sounded deafening in my ears. The stool felt stiff and uncomfortable beneath me.

'Hmm, an interesting mind, I see …' said a sudden voice in my ear.

I gave a slight jump and felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. It was like someone was leaning over my shoulder, with their lips brushing my ear. But that wasn't quite right … maybe the voice was inside my head?

'A keen mind coupled with sharp curiosity – that much is very clear …' continued the voice. With a jolt I realised it was the Sorting Hat itself. 'Mixed with an admirable amount of courage, and a sense of fair play … an interesting mind, indeed! So where shall I put you?'

I thought about the whispered rumours of the other students on the train. Those people from wizarding families who seemed to know everything already. They had scorned the house of Hufflepuff and lowered their voices in apprehension of Slytherin. I felt my nerves begin to rise once again.

'No need to be nervous, now,' said the hat reassuringly. 'You're in good hands with me – metaphorically speaking, of course.'

I gave a weak smile. Then I thought suddenly about the hundreds of other students around me – surely they couldn't hear this conversation, too?

'While I'm sure you would thrive in most situations, it seems clear to me that there is only one house for you,' said the hat with no small amount of certainty. It bellowed its last statement to the entire hall.

'RAVENCLAW!'


	2. Year Two

'Stephen, come on! There won't be any seats left for the match –' I complained after my friend's retreating back.

Stephen Cornfoot flashed me a confident grin over his shoulder, his blue eyes twinkling.

'Stop moaning – there's always seats left over. This is the best time of day to get a book out of the library. There'll be no queue.'

I let out a small sigh of exasperation and hastened down the empty corridor after him. The sun was rising up into the sky, and its brilliant rays splashed bars of crimson and gold light through the windows, while leaving the rest of the corridor deep in shadow. We descended two flights of stairs and walked quickly down another corridor. The sound of crowds of students moving towards the Quidditch Pitch could be heard from the Marble Staircase. Gryffindor would be playing against Hufflepuff in what was considered the most important match of the year. The outcome of this clash would pretty much decide the winner of the Quidditch Cup.

'You're so stubborn,' I shot at him as we neared the library. 'It's a miracle you weren't sorted into Gryffindor.'

Stephen snorted.

'Please, I'm way too good for Gryffindor. I'd be wasted there.'

I rolled my eyes.

'This could have at least waited until tomorrow when we had nothing else to do …'

We turned the last corner and spotted the library doors standing open halfway down the passage.

'I wouldn't have had time. We have two other essays due the day after that, so I wanted to get this one do –' Stephen abruptly fell silent and froze in his tracks.

I bumped into him and opened my mouth to tell him off again before I saw what had halted him. Two figures were lying immobile just outside the doors to the library. The morning sunlight illuminated their faces like models in a waxwork museum. My heart began to beat painfully fast.

'Oh no …' said Stephen in a small voice.

They were both students. The one nearer to us was a Ravenclaw Prefect – a memory stirred at the back of my mind and I hesitantly identified her as Penelope Clearwater. The other girl was in our own year, but a Gryffindor. I recognised her from Charms class as Hermione Granger, one of the smartest students in the year. They had both been Petrified.


	3. Year Three

'This is hopeless!' cried Kevin Entwhistle in frustration, throwing down his quill and running his hands through his hair.

I looked over at him from my perch on the wide stone windowsill. His desk was covered in pieces of parchment which were inscribed with an array of runes.

'It's not so hard. You just need to be patient and figure it out slowly,' I said with assurance.

Kevin turned around in his chair and gave me a shrewd look, his heavy eyebrows contracted.

'It's easy for you to say; you're one of the best in the class. Ancient Runes is anything but easy.'

I shrugged and said nothing, while secretly revelling in his praise. I was by no means a genius when it came to most of our subjects, but since we had begun to study Ancient Runes at the start of the year, I had found myself easily keeping up with the constant flow of new information. It was the first time since beginning Transfiguration that I had found something that I was naturally good at, and I quite enjoyed that feeling.

The old oak door to the common room swung open and several members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team spilled in, chattering in loud voices with their broomsticks over their shoulders. The pretty and popular Cho Chang of the year above ours flicked her long hair out of her face and sat down on the arm of a sofa to talk to a group of friends. I noticed Kevin gazing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Smirking, I turned my face back to the tall mullioned window and rested my cheek against the glass. The sun was high in the sky, and was shining brilliantly over the grounds. The window had become hot under its glare, and was pleasantly warm to the touch. As I felt the heat of the glass on my cheek, my mind wandered and my eyes swept across the fabulous view below. Ravenclaw Tower afforded its students the most breathtaking view of the castle grounds and surrounding mountains. One could see for miles and miles from its windows.

I gazed lazily at the lake and then the greenhouses, their glass roofs glinting in the sunlight, before glancing at the dark trees of the Forbidden Forest, whose branches were waving in a light wind. I was about to look away when I noticed something odd at the edge of the Forest. Raising my head slightly, I squinted at the spot far below me, trying to discern it. It appeared to be a small dark animal of some kind. My first thought was the boarhound kept by Hagrid, but the shape didn't look quite right … it was too thin and loping. The creature paused in a patch of sunlight and turned its head upwards towards the castle. It appeared to be staring right at me. I felt a slight shiver at its gaze. It looked like a dog, or possibly a wolf, with a coat of deep black fur. A moment later, and it turned around and padded into the dark trees.


	4. Year Four

The towering ice sculptures glinted and glowed in a rainbow of colours as the floating candles of the Great Hall slowly circled through the air. On the wide dance-floor, dozens of pairs of dancers twirled and plunged beneath the enchanted ceiling. The Weird Sisters struck up a fast tune and the elaborate display of dress robes whirled faster in response.

As I spun in a dizzying circle with Lisa Turpin, I felt someone grab my arm and pull. Looking to my left I saw Stephen's grinning face as he tugged the two of us into a group dance with his partner, Susan Bones. I laughed as we all revolved on the spot together.

'Where's Kev?' shouted Stephen over the noise of the music.

'No idea,' I shouted back, almost tripping over Lisa's emerald-green robes.

The crowd parted before us and we moved out of the way just in time as Hagrid waltzed by with Madame Maxime. Right behind them, I spotted Kevin and Mandy Brocklehurst, both roaring with laughter at Dean Thomas, who had locked lips with a pretty Beauxbatons girl nearby. Stephen exclaimed in delight at the sight and I reached forward to tap Kevin on the shoulder. Mandy pulled Kevin into our group and embraced Lisa quickly before whispering hurriedly into her ear. Stephen wolf-whistled and Dean broke into a wide grin without interrupting the kiss, flashing a rude hand gesture in our direction. We all laughed.

'Have you guys seen Hermione Granger tonight?' Mandy shot at us as we migrated to the edge of the crowd.

'Yeah, she looks bloody incredible!' exclaimed Stephen.

I noticed Susan purse her lips at this. As Stephen caught my eye, I inclined my head slightly in Susan's direction, but I wasn't sure if he understood my message. A moment later and the song ended. All the dancers paused in order to applaud loudly, while the Weird Sisters changed positions on the stage. Their next song was even louder and faster, and was apparently quite well known, as Mandy, Susan and Lisa all cried out in delight after the first few bars. As a result, we were all swept around the floor once again, while several of the teachers took the opportunity to leave for the round tables.

'I love this song!' Lisa shrieked in my ear, her lips brushing my cheek.

I felt an inexplicable heat climb up my neck as she held on to me tightly. Her lips stayed by my cheek, and I could feel them against my skin as we twirled in rapid circles. Stephen winked at me over her shoulder. But I had no idea what to do in this situation – was she expecting me to kiss her? Did I even want to kiss her?

She clutched me tight and rested her head on my shoulder. When the song reached its chorus (an unfortunate couple of lines about unrequited love), Lisa raised her eyes to look at me steadily and I experienced a moment of intense panic. As she waited expectantly, her face mere inches from my own, I looked away and tried to quicken the step of our dance. There was an intensely awkward moment as we reached the edge of the dance-floor when we both avoided each other's gaze. The song had not yet ended when Lisa dropped her hands and folded her arms.

'I'm tired … I'll see you in a bit.'

'Yeah, ok,' I croaked.

She stalked off across the hall, her dress robes sweeping along behind her. I stood awkwardly on my own for a few moments, watching her as she sat down beside Padma Patil. The music thrummed and the walls seemed to vibrate with festive energy.


	5. Year Five

Stephen made a noise of disgust in his throat as we descended the Marble Staircase into the Entrance Hall.

'I mean – it's pure censorship!' fumed Kevin, not bothering to keep his voice down. 'How many proclamations have we seen on that noticeboard in the last month? When they say power corrupts, they were clearly talking about her!'

'I can't stand her,' agreed Stephen, his face uncharacteristically dark.

'First she basically cancels Defence Against the Dark Arts, and now she's breaking up societies and punishing people for asking about basic information. It's gone beyond ridiculous,' continued Kevin.

We reached the bottom of the Marble Staircase to find our way impeded by Argus Filch, who was leering unpleasantly at us.

'Not insulting our High Inquisitor, I hope?' he said, glaring at Kevin through his bloodshot eyes.

'No, never!' cried Stephen with heavy sarcasm.

I flashed him a warning glance. It would do no good to get into an argument with Filch. We'd all just end up in detention. But Stephen wasn't paying me any attention.

'Why would we ever criticise the Ministry puppet who swaggers into our school and plonks herself down at the High Table in order to issue one stupid law after another?' he continued, his voice raised. 'She's an absolute delight.'

The crowd of students heading towards the Great Hall had stopped in order to listen to their exchange. I groaned inwardly and raised my eyes to the heavens.

'You'll be sorry you said that, boy,' growled Filch, his jowls aquiver. 'Slandering a member of staff … tut, tut. I expect that deserves at least a double detention, but I shall have to consult with Professor Umbridge. The three of you can expect to hear from her later today.'

He smiled unpleasantly and hobbled off through the crowd. The students on either side of us exchanged smirks before moving on again.

'Why did you have to bait him?' I demanded of Stephen.

He shrugged as we made for the Great Hall with everyone else. The weak October sunlight streamed through the windows above the house hourglasses.

'I was angry. And I'm sick of Filch sliming around the school looking for trouble.'

'Well, because of you, the three of us will probably be stuck in detention this weekend. Thanks a bunch,' said Kevin bitterly.

Stephen ignored him. We passed through the golden doors into the Great Hall and grabbed three empty seats at the Ravenclaw table, just in time for lunch to appear on the empty plates. As I tucked into my food, I noticed Kevin gazing thoughtfully at his plate, his fork tracing circles in the butter.

'Something on your mind?' I asked, poking him in the arm to bring him out of his reverie.

'Hm? Oh, well – not really … I was just thinking …' he said slowly.

'Careful, there,' quipped Stephen.

Kevin gave him a withering look.

'I was just thinking about what Terry and Michael were saying about that new group Potter has set up … you know – the one where he teaches defence?'

'What about it?' I asked, taking a sip of hot tea.

'I think we should give it a go,' said Kevin, looking between me and Stephen.

I raised my eyebrows and considered it for a few moments. A few seats to my left, Ginny Weasley had floated over from the Gryffindor table to sit with Luna Lovegood.

'Yeah, I'd be game,' I said after a moment. 'It could be a good idea.'

'Me too,' said Stephen firmly. 'Anything to get back at that old toad.'

Kevin grinned.

'Excellent. That settles it; we're joining an illegal student organisation!'


	6. Year Six

The sun shone brightly in the cobalt sky as students strolled about the grounds and paddled their feet in the shallows of the lake. I loosened the catch on my robes in order to cool down. With a sigh I flopped on the grass beside Kevin. Despite the looming exams, there was a definite feeling of summer in the air. Across the sloping lawn, I could see Hagrid tending to his vegetable patch, while Fang the boarhound leapt joyfully through the plants. I reached for my bag, but Kevin slapped my hand away.

'Don't even think about taking out a book!' he said warningly. 'We agreed to take the afternoon off studying.'

'I know, but I can't help it … exams make me nervous. I won't be happy until they're behind us,' I said, pushing his hand out of the way.

Kevin gave me a stern look and pulled my bag over to his side.

'I don't care. No studying, and that's final.'

I pretended to sulk, and he grinned.

'Where're the two lovebirds?' I asked, stretching my arms above my head and lying back on the grass.

'Walking very slowly towards us,' replied Kevin.

I squinted through the sunlight upside down and saw Stephen and Lavender Brown meandering in our direction. Lavender had only split up with Ron Weasley a few weeks earlier, so I had my doubts about this particular pairing. But Stephen was not to be reasoned with when it came to matters of the heart – Kevin and I had long since learned that lesson.

'She's really starting to bug me,' said Kevin idly, leaning on his elbow as he observed them pausing to exchange a kiss.

'Yeah, she's very … um … chatty,' I agreed hesitantly.

I looked away from them and cast my gaze out across the sparkling lake. The surface was as smooth as glass and glistened in the sun like a field of diamonds. The countless towers and turrets of the castle were reflected perfectly in the water. I quickly noticed another familiar pair strolling around the lake's edge not too far away.

'Hey, Kev, look –' I said, sitting up and nodding in their direction. 'It's Hogwarts' newest celebrity couple.'

'Who?' said Kevin, squinting in the direction I had indicated.

'Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley,' I said, watching their backs as they walked, hand in hand. 'The whole school's talking about them since Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup.'

'Ahh, why is everyone in a relationship?' groaned Kevin, casting his head back in mock anguish. 'I couldn't get a girlfriend even if I beat a troll in a bare knuckle fight!'

I laughed at his disgruntled expression.

'Come on – you know that's not true. I saw you with Daphne Greengrass at Christmas.'

'That was ages ago,' he grumbled. 'And we were all hyped-up on Butterbeer.'

'Still counts,' I insisted.

'What about you and Gary Thomas?' said Kevin slyly, shooting me a sideways glance.

I felt the colour rise in my cheeks.

'What do you mean?' I said quickly, fidgeting with my wand.

'Parvati and Padma Patil told me they saw you with Gary a few days ago in the Trophy Room. Now why on earth would the two of you be visiting the Trophy Room in the run-up to exams?' he pressed, watching me with a grin.

'Um … no particular reason …' I stammered, failing pathetically to appear unfazed.

'Riiight …'

Flustered, I glanced away and my wand emitted a small stream of purple sparks. I glared at it furiously while Kevin's eyes danced with mischief.


	7. Year Seven

'STUPEFY!'

'Quick – Professor, over here …'

'He needs help –'

'Bring him inside, Miss Chang; Davies, you go, too.'

'CONFRINGO!'

Spells exploded above our heads and I ducked to avoid a stray curse. The Battle of Hogwarts had begun, and Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters and dark creatures were laying siege to the castle. Already, the shield of protective enchantments cast by the teachers had been shaken and mostly destroyed. From my position on the wide battlements that ringed Ravenclaw Tower, I could see the battle unfolding in the dark grounds far below. Professor Flitwick had led a group of us up the tower as part of the battle strategy devised by the Order of the Phoenix, but no one had anticipated that our position would come under such heavy fire so early on. Behind my back, the imposing shape of the familiar tower was pockmarked with small craters, and most of the glass in the towering mullioned windows had been shattered.

'All right, lads, prepare yourselves for a fresh assault!' cried Professor Flitwick from the front of the battlements. 'I want all wands directed at those giants heading towards the greenhouses – they cannot be allowed to reach the castle walls!'

I rose from my crouch and made eye contact with Stephen, who was standing stock still with his wand already pointed towards the grounds. His face was streaked with dust and blood. He gave me a curt nod, his jaw set. Kevin clasped my shoulder as he stood up, brushing off a fresh powdering of debris that had showered from the tower's roof. As I took my position between them, I could see spells flying from the Gryffindor and Astronomy towers, which were also being utilised for the defence of the school.

'FIRE!' roared Professor Flitwick.

With my wand pointed over the parapet, I took aim and cried, 'EXPULSO!'

My cry was echoed on all sides, and nearly two dozen streaks of silver light erupted from the tower, hurtling down into the grounds. I could hear the agonised roar of the giants as our spells found their marks. Stephen bellowed in triumph as we saw one of the smaller giants stagger and fall, its head crushing the front half of the nearest greenhouse. As I revelled in the small victory, I noticed something odd in the sky above the Forbidden Forest.

I leaned forwards and squinted at the black clouds. There was something hurtling through the air towards the school. In fact, it looked like several somethings. My eyes widened as I realised what it was.

'Professor!' I cried, gesturing with my wand. 'We've got a crowd of Death Eaters on broomsticks heading this way!'

Professor Flitwick cast a cold eye against the clouds and made a small noise of discontent. He hopped down from the small stone platform at the front of the battlements and started issuing orders.

'Brace yourselves. We have a squadron of flying enemies heading in our direction. Wands at the ready! Clear the east flank of the battlements – I want wands concentrated on the west!'

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Cho Chang clambering through the ruined window to take a glance. Roger Davies stood at her shoulder.

'We'll cast protective spells from the common room, Professor,' she said at once.

Professor Flitwick nodded curtly.

'Very good.'

I hastened along with Stephen and Kevin to the west side of the battlements, keeping the approaching brooms in sight. At that moment there was a sudden explosion that rocked the entire school, and a huge burst of flame erupted from the dark form of the Quidditch stadium. Dancing tongues of fire spat from the Hogwarts banners draped over the wooden stands, casting a flickering illumination across the grounds.

The dozen or so Death Eaters on broomsticks had almost closed in and raised their wands when Professor Flitwick gave the order to attack. I whipped my wand through the air and sent a Stunning Spell towards them. Their tight formation broke and they scattered, evading most of our spells. However, some did hit their mark, and three cloaked bodies fell silently from their broomsticks. The surviving figures returned fire, and the tower once again shook under a fierce barrage of curses.

I cried out in pain as a falling piece of masonry slashed my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a thick window pane strike Mandy Brocklehurst on the head. She crumpled to the ground at once.

'No –!' I choked in the cloud of dust, scrambling through the rubble to her side.

I had barely reached her when Cho knelt down beside me, ghostlike in appearance from the layer of white dust that covered her body. Together, we lifted Mandy from the ground and staggered into the common room through the broken window. Glass crunched under our feet as we walked over the dusty carpet, and we set her down carefully next to Michael Corner, who was lying unconscious beside the fallen statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.

We heard Professor Flitwick give a muffled shout from outside, which was drowned out by the gleeful bellows of the Death Eaters flying by. More curse flew through the windows, exploding off the tapestries and glass-fronted bookcases of the common room. I left Mandy with Cho and Roger and stumbled back to the battlements. To my horror, I saw that a section of the parapet had fallen away, leaving a gaping hole in our defences. I looked desperately around at our group of fighters and realised that our number had shrunk. Stephen was on his hands and knees, coughing in the rubble. I flung myself down at his side.

'Hey, are you alright?'

'Yeah … yeah – I'll live,' he said gruffly, wiping away a trickle of blood from his mouth.

'Where's Kevin?' I asked quickly.

Stephen's eyes widened and he glanced left and right. Just as my panic was beginning to mount, Kevin staggered through the smoke towards us.

'Alright?' he said, clapping us both on the shoulder.

I gave a weak smile and Stephen sighed in relief.

'We can do this. Let's not lose faith yet,' said Kevin confidently.

I stood up and pulled Stephen to his feet. The three of us stood side by side, staring grimly over the broken parapet. Below us, the battle was getting even more intense. Countless flashes of light streaked back and forth across the grounds, and as we watched, a large section of the Quidditch stands collapsed in flames. To our right, a twittering cloud of owls rose, hooting in terror, from the fiercely burning Owlery. Another distant explosion sent plumes of smoke and fire towards the sky from the roof of the Great Hall, and the castle quaked again.


End file.
